Jewish Family Escapes Lynch Mob, but Trauma Remains

Jewish family struggles with physical, emotional scars from attack by Arab mob in Jerusalem. Attackers remain at large.

By Maayana Miskin

First Publish: 10/3/2013, 10:44 AM

(Illustration) Arab rioters in Jerusalem

Flash 90

The Bruchi family of Beit El is struggling to recover from a vicious mob attack in Jerusalem. The family was attacked by a large group of Arab men and youths as they visited the capital during the Sukkot holiday last month.

In addition to physical injuries and emotional trauma that have yet to heal, the family is facing the chilling knowledge that the attackers are still at large.

During the attack the mother of the family, Naama Bruchi, was hit in the head by a large rock, and two of the couple’s children were cut by broken glass and flying stones as the mob shattered the windows of the family car.

“The community here in Beit El is supportive, they’re really taking care of us, but we’re still suffering greatly,” father Assaf Bruchi told Arutz Sheva. “My wife was hit by a large rock and suffers a concussion, we were back in the hospital this week because she was suffering extreme pain.”

The children were left with trauma and difficult questions, he continued.

“We’re trying to calm them down. My young [4-year-old] son asked me if there are terrorists who are children, and I told him yes, because after all he saw who was throwing rocks at us, and some of them were children,” he related.

The family is hurt by the way Jerusalem Police have reacted to the attack, he said.

“We’re very frustrated that the police didn’t come to the scene and didn’t take action. The fact is that a hareidi family from New York was attacked the very next day, in the same place, at the same time,” he accused.

Dealing with other officials has been frustrated as well, he said.

“We gave our testimony to police, but unfortunately, even though this was a terrorist attack in every sense, I still need to chase down the National Insurance Institute [Bituach Leumi] to get our money back for the ambulance. The same with damage to the car, I have to go to the property tax officials.”

The Jerusalem Police did not respond to Bruchi’s allegations of police inaction.